As part of a recently revealed government plan to cut the crime rate, Minister of Corrections, Matt Robson said; "If a woman was young, from a disadvantaged family, had little education, was substance dependent, socially isolated and had a number of partners, the risk of raising anti- social children increased many hundred's of times. By identifying these women and providing sexual health services and education in the benefit of delaying child-bearing until a more suitable time the Government could make serious inroads into future offending."

Are you serious Mr Robson? How are you going to convince them of the unknowable benefits of delayed child-bearing up against the very tangible benefits paid FOR child-bearing?

At least Mr Robson has the courage to state the problem. Unfortunately, government policy already educates young women that society condones and supports early, sole, child-bearing by paying them weekly cash benefits. Nothing will change as long as this remains the case.

Lindsay Mitchell - Campaigners for the Abolition of the DPB

E-mail dandl.mitchell@clear.net.nz

Ph/Fx 04 562-7944

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>